Before I started to look at an apprenticeship, there were a number of misconceptions that made me believe that it wouldn’t be the right route for me. What I believed is that apprenticeships are only aimed at areas such as Construction and Engineering. But once I started to really look into it, I realised how wide a range of options is available for many different career paths.
I chose the marketing route, as it was a module I thoroughly enjoyed when studying for my Business GCSE. Once I investigated it more, I realised the growing importance of digital marketing in particular. I saw that there was potential for this to grow even bigger in the coming years, and I was interested in being a part of that.
I wanted to work for a creative agency, as I felt that was where I could learn the most. Working at Hydra means you regularly work closely with other staff members in different departments, which means you pick up lots of transferable skills.
How did I get here?
In August of 2019, I became a Level 3 Digital Marketing Apprentice with the B2W Group. I joined the Hydra Creative team last October, after being let down by my previous agency part way through my apprenticeship – due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
My previous role was client facing, so I didn’t have much experience with actual digital marketing. Before that, I had come straight from school after completing my GCSEs, so it was safe to say my experience and skills were limited.
Hydra Creative believe in giving young people the opportunity to get their foot in the door, and regularly offer work experience, placements, and apprenticeship programmes to passionate individuals. I am very grateful that they gave me the opportunity to complete my apprenticeship with them, especially during a time when many businesses were finding it hard to hire new staff.
What is the Hydra environment like?
Being thrown into a busy agency environment can sometimes feel overwhelming, especially if you have never experienced anything like it before. Agency life is fast paced, so you have to be able to think on your feet, as well as have the ability to work within a team to meet deadlines. Everyone at Hydra Creative is a team player, meaning we all work together to reach the same common goal.
The staff at Hydra are warm and welcoming and are quick to make you feel like a part of the team. The team work extremely hard for their clients, and regularly produce amazing results, but they also know how to have fun. We often have team days out, as well as nice lunches and ping-pong tournaments in the office. We have a wide variety of personalities here, so there is no such thing as a boring day!
Day-to-day at Hydra is always very different. We work on a huge variety of campaigns, which means our task list never stays the same, and never gets boring. There are also many opportunities that come along with working at an award-winning agency. I haven’t even been here a year yet, but I have already had the opportunity to be featured in a business magazine, and even get involved in various events and video projects. This allows me to network, build connections and get the hands-on experience that I would have never had the chance to do at college or sixth form.
How much support do you get?
I came to Hydra with a good understanding of how an agency works, but I lacked some of the practical skills needed to become a digital marketer. I spent a lot of my first few weeks shadowing various team members and learning more about various skills. Being thrown into the deep end meant I picked things up very quickly.
I spent a lot of time (and still do) learning from Amy Dixon, who is our Digital Marketing Manager, as well as the rest of the SEO & marketing team. She often holds insightful training sessions on various topics, which are great for picking up valuable nuggets of information and new skills.
The opportunity to continuously develop your skills as a marketer is massive here at Hydra, as the directors understand the importance of regularly investing in their staff. We do training time on Friday afternoons, where we are given the time to partake in CPD by taking various courses or training sessions. Most recently, I completed the HubSpot Social Media Certification – all during work hours!
Looking to the future
At the start of my apprenticeship, I was surprised at how much responsibility was handed over to me from day one. One common misconception about apprentices is that we make the tea and do all the tedious tasks that no one else wants to do, but this simply isn’t the case.
My apprenticeship has allowed me to gain confidence and has improved my career prospects as I now know exactly what I’d like to pursue. I am excited to be carrying on my journey at Hydra, as their new Digital Marketing Assistant.
Want to become a part of our team?
We are an award-winning agency and we pride ourselves in helping young professionals excel in their careers. Want to know more about the opportunities we provide? Visit our careers page or get in touch with us on [email protected]
